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After wearing, testing, and fishing the LOOGU Outdoor Vest, we bring you this full, hands-on review.
These days, it seems as if there’s a new “affordable” option for fishing vests every time we start to shop around. It’s a challenge to wade through all of the options and find which one is the best deal and going to fulfill our needs.
Table of Contents
- Fly Fishing Vest & Pack Reviews
- About The LOOGU Outdoor Vest
- Build and Construction of LOOGU Outdoor Vest
- Fly Fishing Vests & Packs
- Pockets & Storage
- Waders & Boot Reviews
- Features
- Watch the LOOGU Outdoor Vest Review Video
- Price of LOOGU Outdoor Vest
- The Overall Fit & Adjustability
- Cons of LOOGU Outdoor Vest
- Waders
- My Personal Thoughts & Opinions about the LOOGU Outdoor Vest
LOOGU has created an affordable fishing vest that is ideal for the angler looking to cover as much ground as possible with a lightweight vest to carry their gear. It’s a minimalistic design ready for adventure.
In this article, we’re going to take a deep dive into the vest, its quality, its features, the price, the overall fit, some of the cons of the vest as well as my thoughts.
We purchased the vest ourselves, so there is no bias in this review. Plus, at Into Fly Fishing, we pride ourselves on being honest and accurate regardless of whether or not a company chooses to send us something.
LOOGU Outdoor Fly Fishing Vest
Order the LOOGU Outdoor Fly Fishing Vest on Amazon.
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About The LOOGU Outdoor Vest
The LOOGU Outdoor Vest is available on Amazon for around $30 depending on the color and any promotions. It is considered a budget option as far as fly fishing vests go, but it is high enough quality that it’ll last numerous seasons.
The reviews on Amazon are extremely with nearly 7,000 people giving it 4.5+ stars. We chose to order to see if it really lived up to the high reviews.
Build and Construction of LOOGU Outdoor Vest
The LOOGU Outdoor Vest is made of quality, lightweight materials and has enough features to keep anglers properly equipped for a day on the water. It’s not a fly fishing-specific vest, so it is missing some useful features, but it’s a great option for any anglers desiring a more minimalistic approach.
Materials
The LOOGU vest is made of 90% cotton + 10% polyester. The mesh is made of both nylon as well as mesh. The first thing anglers are going to notice about the vest is how lightweight it is. The warm days on the water in minimal layers are still going to be comfortable even with this vest.
Around half of the front and over half of the back are made of mesh and nylon to let air in and out. The mesh is only a single layer, so one snag of a branch could do some damage, so keep that in mind.
The other halves of the vest are the cotton and polyester blend that are able to withstand thick brush, stuck hooks, and other more challenging conditions. For around $30, you’ll find that you’re generally getting your money.
Zippers
Any outdoor person gets a scared feeling when they hear the word zippers. One faulty zipper on a trip can be the thing that sends everyone home. LOOGU has made lightweight, minimally intrusive zippers that aren’t going to get in the way.
There are no rubber leverage points or small ropes that anglers can grab when trying to close the zippers. You only have the metal to work with. On those cold or highly wet days, the metal can be a challenge to handle.
Gear Loops
There are only two gear loops on the LOOGU Outdoor Vest. There are two D-rings on the front that are ideal for nippers, forceps, tippets as well as sunglasses. They’re quite small, so anglers aren’t going to be able to attach a net or any larger accessory, but they work perfectly for those smaller pieces of equipment.
They’ll withstand the consistent weight of your accessories.
Pockets & Storage
Overall, the LOOGU Outdoor Vest has 16 varying-sized pockets. Nine of the pockets are zippered and the rest have velcro seals.
On each side of the front of the vest, you’ll find six different pockets. The top pocket is a zippered pocket that’s great for storing keys, snacks, leaders, tippets, or a small fly box. It’s not the easiest pocket to access, so it’s best saved for less-used accessories.
LOOGU Outdoor Fly Fishing Vest
Order the LOOGU Outdoor Fly Fishing Vest on Amazon.
As you move down the vest, you’ll find two small velcro pouches. These pouches are about the size of a bottle of floatant. The floatant will fit nicely into the pocket with the velcro still closing over it.
The next pocket you run into is the largest zippered pocket on the front. This large, zippered pocket is a good place to throw streamer boxes, extra reels, fly lines, and any of those larger accessories you need readily available.
As you continue to move down the front of the vest, there’s another zipper pocket that is the perfect place to store more medium-sized fly boxes. It protrudes out of the front of the vest, so your boxes are easy to see as you’re choosing which fly you want to use.
Finally, you’ll find two other smaller velcro pockets that can store other small accessories that you regularly use.
On the back of the vest, anglers are going to find one large pocket. The pocket is around 11 or 12 inches wide and 18 inches long. It’s the ideal place for rain gear, a water bottle, or extra layers that you may need.
On the inside of the vest, there is one zippered pocket on each side. These zippered pockets are large enough to store a hat and gloves or your more valuable items. The zipper is going to protect them from falling out as you’re moving.
Features
The two primary features on the vest that anglers are going to find are the smaller d-rings. These smaller d-rings can hold your accessories. What you’ll notice is missing is a large D-ring on the back for your net as well as a fly pin-pad.
There’s no place on this vest to store your individual flies. It’s definitely a more minimalistic design.
Watch the LOOGU Outdoor Vest Review Video
Price of LOOGU Outdoor Vest
The LOOGU Outdoor Vest is going to cost anglers around $30 depending on the color you choose. It also depends on if there are any promotions that are running at the time. For a more simple design, you’re getting a fair deal.
The Overall Fit & Adjustability
The most unique aspect of the LOOGU Outdoor Vest is that it is purchased in specific sizes. There are no straps on the vest. Anglers can choose to purchase the vest anywhere from size small to 3XL. LOOGU regularly updates a size chart due to the changing of sizes, so be sure to read it before you make your purchase.
I am around 6′ tall and 170 pounds and the small/medium sizes fit me well.
Cons of LOOGU Outdoor Vest
There are two primary cons to the LOOGU Outdoor Vest.
The first con is the lack of gear loops or fly fishing-specific features. For example, there is no D-ring on the back of the vest for anglers to store their net. As a result, anglers will either have to store it in their waders or carry it around.
Also, there’s no fly pin pad for anglers to stick individual flies or a specific pocket to put flies. They’re all going to have to stay in your box. The second con is that I received the vest with quite a few strings sticking out of it.
After closer inspection, it didn’t look like the seams were failing, but the longer strings unnerved me. Many anglers fish their gear hard, and loose strings can mean the pockets are going to fall apart after a few uses.
After a few uses, the seams are holding up fine, but the loose strings weren’t a good look.
My Personal Thoughts & Opinions about the LOOGU Outdoor Vest
Overall, I think the LOOGU Outdoor Vest is the ideal option for anglers looking to be simple and sweet. There are no extra frills on this vest. What you see is what you get. If you need a few fly boxes, small accessories, a raincoat, and your valuables, this is the perfect option for you.
You don’t have straps to cinch down if your vest is extra heavy or light, so you’ll definitely feel whatever is in your vest. Not being able to adjust the vest can be controversial, especially if you order the wrong size.
You are able to return the vest if the size isn’t right, so make sure you take a close look at the size chart before you make the purchase.
LOOGU Outdoor Fly Fishing Vest
Order the LOOGU Outdoor Fly Fishing Vest on Amazon.
Depending on where I’m fishing, I don’t mind leaving my pack in the car, grabbing a couple of fly boxes, and hitting the water.
The loose strings on the vest threw me off when I first opened the vest. I wasn’t overly impressed with the design, but after a few uses, I’m beginning to trust it more and more. At $30, I think this vest is worth the money.
I understand its limitations and it definitely has a place in my rotation for the days I’m looking to go and cover as much ground as possible.
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